Inversion
by maembe13
Summary: Endgame through Thor 1...in that order. Thor Odinson leaves the Guardians of the Galaxy and returns to the Aesir colony on Midgard to finally face the destiny he has been running from. Will he become the king this small, struggling people need? What will happen to the universe when the Mad Titan snaps his fingers and doubles populations everywhere?
1. Prologue: Coronation of the King

_Disclaimer: The MCU owns all this. I don't. I simply rearrange it._

* * *

**INVERSION**

* * *

_Inversion Definition: A reversal of position, order, form, or relationship; a change in the position, order, or relationship of things so that they are the opposite of what they had been._

_"And he said, you wanna know what you get_  
_When you play a country song backwards_

_You get your house back_  
_You get your dog back_  
_You get your best friend Jack back_  
_You get your truck back_

_You get your hair back_  
_You get your first and second jobs back_  
_Your front porch swing_

_Your bling, bling, bling and a diamond ring_  
_You get your farm, and the barn_  
_And the boat, and the Harley_  
_And that old black cat named Charlie_

_It sounds a little crazy_  
_A little scattered and absurd_  
_But that's what you get_  
_When you play a country song backwards"_

_Rascal Flatts, Backwards_

* * *

**Prologue: Coronation of the King**

* * *

Thor's heart pounds a crescendo within his chest as he walks the length of the glittering, gilded hall before him. It is filled well over capacity with as many of the citizens of Asgard as could be packed into the massive room. He cannot differentiate between the whispers and shouts and footsteps of the people and his own nervous energies. All the sounds swirl together and he is momentarily deaf from the overwhelming noise. He does not think he can reach the throne fast enough, as if his steps are mired in mud instead of polished gold.

Thor's senses return to him as he kneels on the floor before the All-Father. Odin, bearing his finest ceremonial armor, stares out over the crowd with his one-eyed gaze that could cut through ice. He gives one crack of Gungir and immediately the crowd falls silent, all eyes fixed upon their King.

The All-Father turns his gaze to his son, as if to peer into his very heart, before gripping his hand tighter on Gungir. He speaks, his voice low but imbued with the authority of a king well-acquainted with power.

"Gungnir. Its aim is true, its power strong. With it I have defended Asgard and the lives of the innocent across the Nine Realms since the time of the Great Beginning. And though the day has come for a new King to wield his own weapon - that duty remains the same. Thor Odinson, my heir, my first-born.

"So long entrusted with this mighty hammer, Mjölnir. Forged in the heart of a dying star, from the sacred metal of Uru. Only one may lift it. Only one is worthy. Who wields this hammer commands the lightning and the storm. Its power has no equal - as a weapon, to destroy, or as a tool, to build. It is a fit companion for a King.

"Today I entrust you with the greatest honor in all the Nine Realms. The sacred throne of Asgard. I have sacrificed much to achieve peace. So, too, must a new generation sacrifice to maintain that peace. Responsibility, duty,

honor. These are not merely virtues to which we must aspire. They are essential to every soldier and to every King."

Thor lifts his head from his focus on the polished floor to face his father. Odin's face glows with pride.

"Thor Odinson, do you swear to guard the Nine Realms?

"I swear."

"Do you swear to preserve the peace?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to cast aside all selfish ambition and pledge yourself only to the good of all the Realms?"

"I swear."

"Then on this day, I, Odin Allfather, proclaim you King of Asgard," he says.

Thor bows his head even lower before his father, places his winged helmet back upon his head, and stands. Odin grants Gungir into Thor's hand, steps down from Hliðskjálf, and ushers Thor to sit upon the mighty throne.

From Hliðskjálf, Thor's eyes fall upon the shining, pillared hall filled with thriving, healthy Aesir-more than he could count. If anyone would have told him that his small village of poor peasants, scratching a living from the rural Midgardian coastline, could grow into this mighty throng, he would never have believed it. From Tønsberg, the broken, war-torn colony of Aesir, to Asgard-this Golden City, the Realm Eternal, the Crown of Yggrasil-he could scarcely believe it even now, though his own eyes now looked upon it.

Now, in gleaming armor and glittering finery stands before him his closest of companions and his family. They line each side of the stairs leading to his golden seat on Hliðskjálf. Sif and the Warriors Three, the most faithful and skilled companions he could ever wish for, meet his gaze and give him slight nods of support.

There, beside Sif, stands his brother in his emerald cape and golden horned helmet. His brother of different blood, but the brother of his heart and youth, who now stands in confidence and elegant grace. The scars and shadows of the past have vanished from his eyes. His mother, finally hale and hearty and glowing in her radiant beauty, gives him a look of mock reproach. He winks at her and she fails to maintain her severe expression. His father, free from his bonds, fully strengthened and rested, towers over the entire room with an expression of beaming pride and contentment.

Thor inhales deeply and listens to the murmuring, vibrant life of the people before him. _His_ people. Asgard. He does not think he can remember ever hearing so beautiful a sound.

Thor takes Gungir in one hand, Mjölnir in the other and raises both over his head, his blue eyes glistening with unshed tears. The crowd of Asgardians in attendance erupts into cheers, applause, and praises for their new king.

For the first time in his life, Thor feels all is well.

oooooooooooooooo


	2. Chapter 1: Game On

**INVERSION**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Game On**

* * *

A brisk wind cuts through her long sleeves as she approaches the top of the cliff. Despite the late afternoon sun beating down on the exposed rock and grasses, the frigid ocean waters surrounding their village send constant icy reminders of their proximity to the northernmost climes of Midgard. She no longer shivers-not after surviving hundreds of winters of such winds, sometimes as cold as the Jotunheim plains.

Without a home of their own, the Aesir forged their own small existence on the alien soils of Midgard for over a thousand years. In Tønsberg, Norway, they kept to themselves, feigned Midgardian existences, and maintained their isolation from the constant change and turmoil of the turbulent Midgardian populations around them.

It hasn't been easy. Their king vanished from this very cliff top, captured by strong sorcery and bound to the inescapable realm of Helheim. Their queen, taken prisoner by Dark Elves, has not been heard from in nearly a millennium and there are little hopes she still lives. Their hope, for a time, lay with their princes, but even that hope slowly faded over the long years scraping together their life in this small Aesir colony. One prince, not long after the king's loss, vanished mysteriously during a dark winter's night without a trace.

Their last prince, their remaining heir and the one bearing the leadership of this struggling people, abandoned the colony. For five hundred years, he left his people to their fate and went to travel the cosmos and "find himself" and "be himself". While the rightful king went on his lengthy journey of self-realization, Valkyrie worked. Tirelessly, thanklessly, through winter, summer, spring, and autumn, and till her hands were coarse with callouses and her body ached with the hard labor. She sought to give the scattered, disheartened gaggle of Aesir hope and purpose-a reason to keep going for another hundred years-but she has grown so tired.

If discovered, Midgard, in their fear of those from other realms, will reject them. Thus, they cannot truly thrive or grow themselves to their full capacity. However, that leaves them fully in danger of stagnation.

At least, she thought they were when she awoke this morning. Then she saw the copper glint of the starship landing on the cliff top above their little Norwegian town. She leaves her fishing nets on the rough wooden dock and marches with determination up the narrow trail leading to the table-like peak overlooking the turquoise waves of the Norwegian Sea.

She lifts her hand to shield her eyes from the glint of the sun off the cockpit windows. Sure enough, it is the Benatar. She momentarily wishes she had scuttled the blasted ship the first time she laid eyes on it. She rolls her eyes and slows her pace.

"Move it or lose it, hairbag," shouts an oversized raccoon standing on two legs near the front of the ship. He points a weapon towards the object of his words-a man walking her direction. Blond dreadlocks hang in thick rows down his broad, hefty chest. His unkempt beard falls in quagmired disarray over his grey sweater and ample belly. He turns over his shoulder and gives a wave of his partially gloved hand to the figures crowding into the cockpit windows.

"Rabbit, Tree, Quail, my friends, it is time to bid farewell and I wish you safe travels as we pursue our destinies on separate paths," he says.

"Stay off my ship," shouts back the raccoon. He throws a bag and an oversized battle ax out the door onto the grass, and then slams the door of the ship. The ship moves off into the atmosphere with a bright flash of light and then it vanishes. The man watches the ship as it flies away. He pauses to put a pair of dark sunglasses over his mismatched eyes. He silently gazes out over the sun-grazed caps of the breakers hundreds of feet below him. She inhales deeply and tries to gather her thoughts before she reaches him.

"You're back," she says with a dispassionate eye roll. This close to him, she can hardly miss the fumes of alcohol wafting from every inch of him. She turns to face the horizon instead of him and crosses her arms across her chest.

"About that," he says. His eyes are hidden behind dark glasses, searching the distant waves and wind. He pulls his jacket closer around himself and runs his fingers through his beard until he finds some crumbs and picks them out. She wrinkles her nose and decides she will need to be the one to carry the conversation farther.

"Thor, your people needed a king."

"They had one, your Majesty," he says, with a mock bow in her direction.

"That's funny," she scoffs and then her face falls as she notices he doesn't join her in jests. "You're being serious?"

"You've been a leader. You've been reliable and led our people admirably."

"Why are you here?" she says, brushing off his comment and fixing him with a keen, dark-eyed gaze.

"I'm not sure," he replies. "For the first time in a thousand years, I…I am facing the path I am supposed to. I've wandered the universe trying to figure out who I am rather than facing who I am supposed to be."

"Thor-you left us here and took off with those-what did you call them? That rabble of losers you chose over your people and your duty?"

"Yes. I pursued my destiny as one of the As-Guardians of the Galaxy. We traveled the cosmos and accomplished many great feats during out time together, but now that time has come to an end," he says, slightly wistful resignation in his tone.

"You've got to be kidding me," she says under her breath. "Fine. Come on, then, your Majesty," she says, her voice now dripping with sarcasm.

He gives Valkyrie a crooked grin, nearly hidden by his beard, and he turns to follow her down the narrow pathway. His footing totters down the uneven, rocky path and she is not sure if it is due to lack of athletic exertion or overindulgence in drink. All eyes turn to stare at them as they near Tønsberg. Valkyrie attempts to maintain a stoic expression, but the slight tightness around her eyes hints at her irritation.

The small, scattered village is made of simple buildings constructed of planks of weathered wood and stone walls. Aesir villagers clothed in Midgardian peasant clothes meander around them. They carry their fishing nets, boxes of goods, and the tools required for their daily work. Their faces are worn with long years of heavy hearts and even heavier workloads.

She leads him to one of the larger homes on the tallest outcropping of the hilly village. He recognizes it as the former home of the royal family, from days he has fought long and hard not to remember. He takes another swing from a canteen he carries in his pocket. The green door bangs loudly against the stone wall of the home as she throws it open.

"You slugs have a roommate," she says and turns to leave without another word, slamming the door again behind her.

Two creatures turn to stare at him. One, resembling an oversized caterpillar, turns all its short limbs in the direction of their newcomer, his mouth full of pepperoni pizza. The other, a living pile of grey rocks clothed in a Hawaiian shirt, waves and brightens into a friendly, stony grin.

"Hey, man!" the latter creature says. "Over here. The pile of rocks waiving at you. Yeah, I'm actually a thing. I'm a being. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Korg. I'm kind of like the leader in here. Well, I'm the leader on this couch at least. I choose the best toppings for pizza on a daily basis. I'm made of rocks, as you can see, but don't let that intimidate you. You don't need to be afraid unless you're made of scissors," he says and chuckles to himself. "Just a little rock-paper-scissor joke for you. This is my very good friend over here, Miek. He's an insect and has knives for hands."

Miek wiggles in response, and his lower limbs accidentally upends a bowl of chips all over the floor. Thor waves in greeting.

"You're a Kronan aren't you?" Thor asks.

"I am. Here, man, you are welcome," Korg says and scoots over on the well-worn couch to make more space. "We've got pizza, beer, and super fast Wi-fi."

He hands Thor a PlayStation controller. Thor gives a heavy grunt as he collapses onto the couch and sinks low into the battered foam. Storm-breaker makes a resounding clank as he drops it onto the trash-strewn floor at his feet. He takes a piece of pizza and swallows it with one bite. He slugs back a beer just as quickly, and lets out a grin over his beer-froth covered beard.

"What's your name, man?" Korg asks.

"Thor, God of Thunder," he responds. "I have come to reclaim my throne and regain my position as leader of this mighty race of warriors."

"Nice to meet you. We've heard stories of you from some of the others but didn't know we'd get the chance to meet you in the flesh. They all said you wouldn't come back-but here you are-so it just goes to show you not to believe everything you here. You must not be as much of a loser as they all said you were. Now, God of Thunder, how would you like to play some Fortnite?"

Thor stares hard at the screen and wrinkles his forehead. He pushes one button and stares transfixed as an explosion spreads across the screen.

ooooooooooooo

_Five Years Later_

Valkyrie's net has another tear. She throws it down on the deck with a groan and her temper flares. She gives the useless pile of old ropes a kick with her boot and curses at it. It's going to be another of those days. The shipment of beer is late again and their mighty king throws a temper tantrum whenever that happens. The last time, three roofs burned down from the lightning of his rampage.

She gathered the community to fix the roofs as soon as she could.

Cause that's what she does. She fixes things. She holds them all together, even when she'd much rather not. Like today. Today, she'd like to tell their interim king exactly where he can send his lightning and his unquenchable thirst and then she'd like to go sit on a couch of her own and not move for the next month.

She gives the nets another firm kick, but her old, well-worn boots crumble at the strength of impact and she curses again to see her toes protruding from a fresh hole.

An old pickup truck rumbles down the dirt road towards their village. It halts near the docks, where most of the trucks usually stop, but instead of unloading other Aesir, a raccoon and a very large, very green man emerge.

She curses again.

"You shouldn't have come!" she says as they walk towards her.

"Ah, Valkyrie! Great to see you," he says.

"This is Rocket."

"How you doin'?" the raccoon says with a cocky smirk on his furry face.

"He won't see you," she says, all the while wishing he would. Wishing they would succeed in pulling him away from their village and leaving her with one less responsibility.

"That bad, huh?" Bruce responds.

"We only see him once a month, when he comes for supplies," she says and looks over her shoulder to a pile of empty kegs.

"It's that bad."

"Yeah."

"We had to try again," Bruce says. "We need all the help we can get. If we can't get you back to help, we'll take him."

"Good luck," she says with ample sarcasm. She brings them the rest of the way towards the large home of their "king".

Rocket enters the house first and grimaces at the smell.

"What the... Woo! Something died in here."

"Hello? Thor?"

From behind the walkway, they hear the deep voice of the Thor.

"Are you here about the cable?" he asks and comes to meet them wearing only his pajama pants. "The Cinemax ran out about two weeks ago, and the sports were all kind of fuzzy."

"Thor?" Bruce says again and gives a questioning glance towards Rocket as Thor opens another beer. Thor pauses to look at his guests for the first time-really looks at them. His face breaks into a crooked grin.

"BOYS! Oh my God! It's so to see you! Come here, you little rascal!" he says and tries to embrace them both.

"No, I'm good. I'm good. That's not necessary," Rocket says, neatly dodging Thor's large arm.

"You know my friends, Miek, Korg, right?" Thor says and gestures towards his two companions on the couch, each with a PlayStation controller in hand and sharing a bowl of chips between them.

"Hey boys!" Korg says and waves from the couch.

"Hey guys, long time no see," Bruce Banner says as he walks into the room. "It's been at least two weeks since we came to talk to you last."

"Beer's on the bucket. Feel free to log on to the Wi-Fi. No password, obviously," Korg says, his attention fully on the screen in front of him. "Thor, he's back. The kid on the TV that called me a dickhead again."

"Noobmaster."

"Yeah, Noobmaster69 called me a dickhead."

Thor walks over to Korg, takes his headphones, and speaks into the microphone in anger.

"Noobmaster? Yeah, it's Thor again. You know, the God of Thunder? Listen, buddy. If you don't log off this game immediately, I am gonna fly over to your house, come down to that basement you're hiding in, rip off your arms and shove them up your butt! Oh, that's right. Yes, go cry to your father, you little weasel!"

Thor brings his headphones back to Korg, who places them back on his head.

"Thank you, Thor."

"Let me know if he bothers you again, okay?"

"Thank you very much. I will."

"So you guys want a drink? What are you drinking? We have beer, tequila, all sorts of things," Thor asks as he scratches circles on his exposed belly. Rocket and Bruce both shake their heads. Thor shrugs and uses his battle ax to open another bottle of beer and starts drinking. Bruce walks to him and places a hand on his shoulder.

"So, what's up?" Thor asks.

"We need your help. Earth has a problem," Bruce says.

"What, like the cable? Cause that's been driving me bananas for weeks," Thor says, punctuating his statement with a series of loud belches.

"No. A bit bigger than that. You see, there's this guy that we've been trying to track down for awhile. He's got a lot of, well, let's just call them fancy rocks that can be used as tools or weapons. We are putting together a team….like I told you last time."

"Yes," Thor says, closing his one good eye and staring at them through his discolored eye. "I sort of remember you mentioning that. You've come so many times I can't remember. I thought you wanted Valkyrie."

"You refused to let us take her. Now we are asking you. You can still cause lightning?" Bruce asks, leaning down to stare into Thor's eyes, his heavy green hand on Thor's bare shoulder.

"Of course. I am Thor, God of Thunder," he answered, stretching out his arms and letting small sparks gather on his fingertips. He burped again and let the sparks go.

"It's better than nothing," Rocket says with a shrug.

"What makes you think I would go with you again, Rabbit? You cast me off your ship in dishonor during our last parting."

"You drank all our booze and you were annoying," Rocket says.

Thor stares at Rocket, craning his neck down to attempt to intimidate. Rocket proves unmoved. He stares at his paw and gives a nonchalant shrug. "There'll be beer on the ship."

Thor gives the raccoon another one eyed stare.

"What kind?"

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

_Author's Note: This story idea has been rolling around in my head for a few weeks. While I am shamelessly pulling dialogue straight from the script of various movies, I am also not going to follow all the movie plots exactly (cause it would be weird to bring people back from the dead all the time -except Loki in like every movie-and it really wouldn't work to just press 'rewind'). I'll warn you ahead of time, I'm skipping over the majority of Endgame except for the parts I find useful (which will be very little). _

_If you have ideas or suggestions, bring them! _


	3. Chapter 2: Inevitable

**INVERSION**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Inevitable**

* * *

The massive, muscled frame of the Mad Titan stands in his garden, gauntlet on his hand, and stares at the sunrise. He inhales deeply of the fresh fragrances of the plants and flowers that surround his hut. He gives a contented sigh. Then, Thanos smiles-a jagged, toothy grin forged out of maniacal massacre. He snaps his gauntleted fingers with a metallic clang and a burst of power explodes from his fingers and spreads like a tidal wave across the universe. He takes off the metal gauntlet and returns to his hut, his smile even brighter and more deadly than it was moments before.

Three days later, a band of heroes surround the hut, weapons in hand. They open the door and find the contents in disarray, as if all the furniture and belongings within were displaced by a great expenditure of energy.

But Thanos is gone.

As is the gauntlet.

"You are too late, I am inevitable," is written on a small note beside a table.

The heroes fall to their knees in despair and rub their faces with their hands.

ooooo

* * *

In the center of a glass-walled maze of labs and conference rooms, a series of holographic displays of multi-colored rocks takes center stage. What Bruce referred to as "the team" sits strewn across the room in as disorganized an arrangement as the notebooks piled haphazardly across the table. Conversations are threaded with explosive anxiety and tight nerves.

Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and Bruce Banner demand the attention of the others as they pace in front of the table, sharing what they know of the Mad Titan and his Infinity Stones. One team member rises to capture the eyes of the eclectic, mismatched band of would-be heroes.

"It's been 23 days since Thanos came snapped his fingers," Rhodey says as he leans against a table and stares at the photographs filling the screen in front of him.

"World governments are in pieces. The parts that are still working are trying to take a census. And it looks like he did... he did exactly what he said he was gonna do. Thanos doubled fifty percent, of all living creatures," Natasha says. She stutters slightly as she speaks as the weight of her emotions uncharacteristically overwhelm the usually stoic assassin. She also stares at the photographs-each cataloging the multitudinous "new arrivals" that Thanos' might and villainous heart has willed into existence.

"Where is he now? Where?" Tony asks.

"We don't know yet. Earth is still grappling with the massive rise of the population. Food production, housing, transportation, employment-it's been pure chaos. Nobody was ready for that kind of increase. People are fighting nonstop over a loaf of bread or a blanket in some places," Bruce says.

"People just appeared?" Tony asks.

"Yeah. All ages-and belonging to families that had no knowledge of them before. A dude walks into a room and finds he has a wife and three children that weren't there before. A helicopter pilot flies through the air and looks in the back and sees three passengers that weren't there before. People panicked. There's no precedent for how to handle something like this. States of emergency have been planned all across the earth. Some people say we should, you know, undo it. But that leads to a whole other ethical dilemma. It's a real mess," Bruce says.

Thor sits on a bench, his long, ragged hair falling over his shoulders as he deeply ponders their circumstances. He places sunglasses on his face to hide the frustration beneath and he hides himself in the safety of his inner rage.

"What's wrong with him?" Tony asks as he gestures over his shoulder to where Thor sits.

"Oh, he's pissed," Rocket answers with a calloused tone. "He thinks he failed. Which of course he did, but you know there's a lot of that's going around, ain't there?"

"Honestly, until this exact second, I thought you were a Build-A-Bear," Tony responds as he stares down at the raccoon.

"Maybe I am," Rocket answers with a shrug and he crosses his arms over his chest and growls at Tony.

"We've been hunting Thanos for three weeks now. Deep Space scans, and satellites, and we got nothing. Did he give you any clues, any coordinates, anything?" Steve interjects.

"Pfft! I saw this coming a few years back. I had a vision. I didn't wanna believe it. Thought I was dreaming," Tony says.

"Tony, I'm gonna need you to focus," Steve says firmly in his "captain" tone (which he knows irritates Tony).

"I got nothing for you, Cap! I got no coordinates, no clues, no strategies, no options. Zero. Zip. Nada. No trust. Liar," Tony says as he hisses in Steve's face.

"You made your point. Just sit down," Rhodey commands.

A short-haired woman who has watched the altercation between the two stands up straight and walks through the room towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Natasha asks.

"To kill Thanos," Carol Danvers says over her shoulder.

Steve and Natasha share a look and then follow after her to stop her from leaving.

"Hey, you know, we usually work as a team here, and between you and I, morale's a little fragile," Natasha says.

"We realize 'up there' is more your territory, but this is our fight too," Steve says as he points towards the heavens.

"You even know where he is?" Rhodey asks.

"I know people who might," she answers with a shrug.

"Don't bother," comes the voice of the shadowed woman in the corner of the room who, up till now, has remained silent. She emerges from the shadows but still carries the weight of darkness on her animatronic shoulders as she approaches the disunified heroes. "The entire time I have known Thanos, he has only ever had one goal: to bring imbalance to the universe by exponentially increasing all life. He used to go planet by planet, increasing the population so quickly and radically that it would implode on itself and destroy everything. Now, he has done it with the snap of his fingers and nobody was be able to stop him," Nebula says with an azure intensity in her gaze.

"When Thanos snapped his fingers, this planet here became ground zero for a power surge of ridiculously cosmic proportions. No one's ever seen anything like it," Rocket says as he produces a hologram of a planet in a distance galaxy. He shows the waves of power emanating from its surface and out across the universe, touching everything in its wake. "However, we think he opened a portal from there and walked through."

"What is he doing now?" Steve asks.

"From what we can tell, Thanos has been travelling the universe giving away Infinity Gems as part of his nefarious plot to disorganize the universe," Rocket says.

"Wait-stones of mass power? He's giving them away?" Tony asks, his eyes opening wide in surprise.

"Yes. He's planting them on different planets around the universe. He says it will stir up more infighting and dissension as people scramble to obtain them. He thrives on the chaos. He says it will be more entertaining than watching a herd of carnivores scramble for a single herbivore," Nebula answers.

Bruce holds up his green hands and displays a projection of the Infinity Stones on the screens.  
"Alright, let's talk about where the stones are now, as far as we know," he says.

"Thanos came to Earth and embedded the Mind Stone in the circuitry of a cyborg named Vision. It's powering his vibranium body and giving the cyborg extreme powers. He's been tasked as the guardian of the Stone for the time-being. While Vision received the stone in the nation of Wakanda, we believe he is now in Scotland," Steve says. "Tony, your turn."

Tony gives a dismissive glare to Steve but still takes over the attention of the room as he stands in the center. "Smurf and I, with the help of the New Girl, took a space ship to Thanos' home planet of Titan. The place is a real fixer-upper, if you know what I mean. While we were there, two human guys and some weirdo aliens materialized in front of us, I assume due to 'The Snap.' Thanos then arrived and wiped my face with a planet until the Bleecker Street Magician agreed to take the Time Stone. Then Thanos disappeared again.

"I managed to steal one of Thanos' ships, and brought Harry Potter and the kid spider back with me. Unfortunately, we also caught a crazy stowaway who crashed through New York for awhile before we sent him back to space," Tony answers with a light-hearted shrug. "Harry Potter took the Time Stone back to New York and he swears he will protect it with his life and if we want it, we will need to kill him first."

"That Time Stone guy...," Natasha says as she projects an image of Dr. Strange for them all to see.

"Doctor Strange," Bruce says.

"Yeah, what kind of doctor is he?" she asks.

"Ear-nose-throat meets rabbit from a hat," Tony adds before he displays a map of the Sanctum Sanctorum in New York.

"Nice place in the village, though," Bruce says.

"Yeah. Sullivan Street," Tony says with a shrug.

"Hmm... Bleecker," he says.

"Wait, he lives in New York?" Natasha says.

"No. He lives in Toronto," Tony says.

"That means we have two Infinity Stone on Earth. That's a high potential for further chaos," Natasha says.

"Shut the front door!" Bruce explains.

A collective gasp fell across the room as they struggled to take in this new information. Bruce gave a large, green wave of his hand again.

"Nebula," he says.

She nods. Nebula paces back and forth across the room and speaks again in her impassioned fervor.

"I know before Thanos arrived on Titan, he went to a place called Vormir-a dominion of death, at the very center of Celestial existence. There, he gave a powerful being called Red Skull the Soul Stone for safe keeping. In exchange, Red Skull gave him an adult female Zen-Whoberis to be his daughter. Red Skull told him, 'You must receive a terrible gift in exchange for the stone. You must obtain love. A soul for a soul.'"

"Not it," Scott Lang adds in as he shudders at the thought of retrieving the Soul Stone from there.

"That leaves him with the Reality Stone, Space Stone, and Power Stone," Tony says as he counts off the other projected images.

He gives a glance around the room until his eyes fall on Thor, who is now sitting on a chair with his sunglasses on. He could just as easily be awake or asleep.

"Is he asleep?" Natasha asks.

"No, I'm pretty sure he's dead," Rhodey responds.

Thor snorts and wipes a strand of drool from the side of his mouth. He checks the can of beer in his hand and gives it a glare when he finds it is empty. He scratches his ample belly as he yawns.

"Thor?" Natasha asks.

Thor pushes his sunglasses up to reveal his bloodshot eyes.

"Thor, what do you know about the Aether, sometimes called the Reality Stone?" Steve asks.

Thor glances around the room in confusion before his eyes land on the projections of the Infinity gems.

"Where to start? Umm... The Aether…first, is not a stone, someone called it a stone before. It's more of a... an angry sludge thing, so... someone's gonna need to amend that. Here's an interesting story though, many years ago...," he says and he stands, but Tony pushes him back into his chair. "I'm not done yet. These things happen though you know, nothing last forever. The only thing permanent in life is impermanence," Thor says as he stands up, stretches his back, and reassembles his shirt to fall properly over his plaid pajama pants.

Tony rolls his eyes and frowns at Thor. Bruce shakes his head while Natasha openly frowns in disapproval.

"He has given the Reality Stone to the Collector on Knowhere," Rocket interjects with a frustrated grimace towards Thor.

"Awesome," Tony says sarcastically.

"A contact on Xandar said Thanos dropped the Power Stone off there. The Nova Corps have been tasked by Thanos to keep it in their vaults," Rocket says as he paces in front of the table. "I could put a team together to try to steal it from there."

"Xandar, is that a person?" Scott Lang asks in confusion.

"Xandar's a planet. Thanos is a person…well, kinda," Rocket says sarcastically.

"A planet? Like in outer space?" Scott adds, his eyes wide in incredulity.

"Oh, look. It's like a little puppy, all happy and everything," Rocket says and changes his voice as if addressing a small animal. "Do you wanna go to space? You wanna go to space, puppy? I'll get you to space."

"We think the gauntlet he used was forged on Nidavellir," Nebula says in an attempt to change the subject. She does not laugh at the interchange between Rocket and Scott.

"Maybe the dwarves will know. I will go to Nidavellir myself," Thor says. "In exchange for Storm-Breaker, perhaps they will grant us answers."

The room of heroes does not respond to Thor's bold suggestion, or the sacrifice he is willing to make for their just cause. In oblivious disappointment, he returns to sulk in his corner and finds himself another can of beer. The others continue to plan their future quest and forge alliances together in their shared cause to overthrow the nefarious schemes of the Mad Titan.

"Look, he's still got one of the stones…," Rhodey interjects, "and we don't know what he's going to do with it."

"So let's get him... If we can gather all the Stones, we can use them to send everyone back," Carol says the appearance of pure, undiluted confidence in her plan.

"Just like that?" Rhodey says.

"Yeah, just like that," Steve says, mirroring Carol's confidence with his own.

"Even if there's a small chance that we can undo this... I mean we owe it to everyone who's not in this room to try," Natasha says somberly.

"If we do this, how do we know it's gonna end any differently than it did before?" Bruce says.

"Because before, you didn't have me," Carol says as she stares at Bruce and then at each of the other team members in the room.

"Hey, new girl, everyone here is about that superhero life. And if you don't mind my asking, where the hell have you been all this time?" Rhodey says.

"There are a lot of other planets in the universe. And unfortunately, they didn't have you guys," she says.

Thor puts his bag of chips down on a counter and stands up to investigate Carol. He holds his hand up and Stormbreaker flies into his fingers, narrowly missing Carol's head. She doesn't flinch but gazes steadfastly at him with firm, unwavering eyes and then she smiles."

"I like this one," Thor says and he smiles, knocking a series of crumbs off his beard and onto Carol's shoulder. She grimaces and brushes them off.

ooooooo

* * *

_Author's Note: Yeah, this one is really all fluff and frivolity. I couldn't think of a good way to reorganize Endgame-it's already so convoluted that writing it backwards made my head hurt. So, it's been abridged, rearranged, aimlessly cut into pieces, and put together with part of Infinity Wars as seemed convenient. I mean, going into the future to try to fix the past really baffled me-even though the thought of Thor going into the future to discover he has a family, a throne, a kingdom and a girlfriend was pretty great, I still couldn't figure out how to logically do both movies with keeping that plot device part, so I threw it out. Oh well. Hope you enjoy. ;)_

_Disclaimer: Majority of dialogue belongs to Marvel and not to me._


	4. Chapter 3: Finite Peace

**INVERSION**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Finite Peace**

* * *

It takes time to plan and prepare properly for their mission. For months, they train-both physically and mentally. The day finally arrives. The team gathers one last time before they embark in seperate direction to undo Thanos' dastardly schemes.

"All right. We have a plan. Six Stones. One shot," Bruce says to the brave band of Avengers.

The team has changed and evolved since they first gathered together. For one, Bruce is nearly unrecognizable. An unfortunate incident with gamma radiation left the previously hulking green giant split into two disparate personages. He has struggled extensively ever since. Instead of the massive pillar of strength and intellect, he is now either a "green rage machine" intent on smashing everything in sight or a puny, middle-aged scientist with a formidable brain (and a much less formidable right hook). However, it is a loss to the team to have him so at war within himself, just when they need him the most.

Thor, ruler of Asgard, also experienced a radical transformation during this preliminary stages of preparation. So distraught was the Aesir prince over his failure to send Stormbreaker through the breast of the Mad Titan, it is as if an inner fire now burns within him and he longs to set the wrongs of the universe at rights again. During the months or preparation, he worked day and night to discipline his mind and body and forge himself into the image of a mighty warrior-intent on one goal. As he trained, his rolls of fleshly baggage melted away into firm, hard muscles forged of uru. His long, unkempt tresses are shorn and replaced with a tidy, well-trimmed beard and short hair-more practical for hand-to-hand combat. He limits his intake of alcohol so as to fine tune his senses to that of a weapon of war, a warrior of valor. No longer does he swagger and sway, but he walks with a firm, upright, sure-footed stance, set and determined in his task. He is ready to pursue the Mad Titan and see justice is brought upon him.

Steve stands in the circle of the team and addresses them each, as a true leader preparing his troops for war ought.

"We lost. All of us. Today, we have a chance to take it all back. You know your teams, you know your missions. Get the Stones, get them back. No mistakes. No do-overs. Most of us are going somewhere we know. But it doesn't mean we should know what to expect. Be careful. Look out for each other. This is the fight of our lives. And we're gonna win. Whatever it takes. Good luck."

"He's pretty good at that," Rocket whispers to Scott where they stand side-by-side together.

"Right?" Scott says with a grin.

"All right. You heard the man. Go team!" Tony chimes in. Then each of the mighty warriors disbands, unsure whether they will see their companions again or if this will be their last mission. As they depart in small teams to pursue their quarry, they meet the eyes of the others, one last time, and give a solid, proud nod of respect to each.

It is their turn for victory.

Ooooooooo

* * *

Thor and his warrior-companion, Rocket the Raccoon, travel by a small space pod to the distant realm of Nidavellir. Groot, a juvenile Flora colossus, materializes on their ship, courtesy of the Mad Titan, and insists of joining their quest. They are hesitant to accept a creation of the Titan, but Groot proves himself to be quite the hard-headed birch and he plants himself firmly in their company.

The journey is long, but their strong-hearts are not daunted. As they arrive, they find the burning orb of the dying star powering the massive forge, well-known to produce the most illustrious weapons in the universe. Eitri, the lone keeper of the forge, keeps vigil as he works and he is quick to fall upon them when they arrive.

"Eitri, stop!" Thor says as he shields himself from the attack of the dwarf's bandaged hands. "Eitri-we need your help!"

"What is it you require?" the dwarf asks.

"We need to stop the forge," Thor says. He braces himself for the protests he knows will come and barrels through with his request. "Thanos has used a gauntlet to harness the Infinity Stones and use them to double populations everywhere. He will not wish for us to undo his villainous plot and so I have no doubt he will wish to destroy the gauntlet lest it falls into the wrong hands. We will require its use to undo the harm the Titan has inflicted upon the universe. In exchange for your cooperation, I am willing to offer my axe, Stormbreaker, in compensation."

Eitri carefully examines the axe and a pleased grin covers his bearded face. "This is a king's weapon. Meant to be the greatest in the Nine Realms. In theory, it could even summon the Bifrost." Eitri turns thoughtful and he stares into the fiery heart of the dying star. "However, to cool the forge is not possible. It is suicide to try."

"I will darken its light," Thor say in perfect confidence. Then with the aid of their small spacecraft and his two companions, Thor not only reaches the eye of the forge, but, by virtue of his great strength, closes it and all goes dark and still.

"When you acquire the Titan's gauntlet and return it to me, your forge will once again burn brightly," Thor says to the tall, mountainous dwarf. "Be wary, Eitri. When the Titan comes, which I have no doubt will be soon, he will wreak havoc upon your realm and exponentially multiply your inhabitants, whether you wish it or no. _Do not_ underestimate him."

"You must protect us!" Eitri shouts in a fit of panic. He lunges to attack the three visiting warriors, but Thor prevents his blows from gaining purchace on their persons.

"Eitri, I know it feels like all hope is lost. Trust me, I know. But together, you and I, we can kill Thanos and be victorious!"

Thor and his companions escape into their pod before Eitri can grasp them and plead with them to stay. They quickly depart Nidavellir and reach the safety of the empty starscape and make their way to their rendezvous point with the other Guardians of the Galaxy.

As they lounge in their travelling chairs, Rocket carefully considers Thor. Without warning, Rocket steals Thor's fake eye. He pulls it from the Asgardian and, with a look of triumph, places the false organ into his pocket with a grin.

"I will add this to my collection," he says.

"My eye!" Thor says.

"Here, take this instead," Rocket says and hands him an eye patch. Thor covers his eye. "Now you look like a real space pirate," Rocket says, full of mock admiration. "Groot, put that game away."

"I thank you, Rabbit," Thor says with a wide grin and a heavy-handed pat on his furry back.

"Don't mention it. Let's go find some morons," Rocket replies.

Oooooo

* * *

"We have rejoined the morons!" Thor says as he loudly disembarks the small pod and enters the larger space ship. He glances around the room and notes how their numbers have multiplied since his last quest on this ship. Thanos, indeed, has left no corner of the universe untouched.

"Hey! Who are you and why are you on my ship?" asks a burly, blonde man who is obviously displeased by their presence.

"Lemme just ask the captain. Oh, wait a second, it's me!" Rocket says with an eyeroll as he pushes past the blonde man to sit in the captain's seat.

"Hey! I'm Starlord and this is my ship!"

"The rabbit is correct, and clearly the smartest among you," Thor interjects as he rummages through cabinets in search of sustenance. He pulls a blanket around himself and shivers slightly.

Rocket laughs before he notices the fixed, glazed stare of Groot and he frowns. "Come on, Groot. Put that game down, you'll rot your brain."

Rocket then informs them of all that transpired both on Terran and Nidavellir.

"How the hell is this dude still alive?" Quil says in response to the tale of Thor in the eye of the dying star.

Thor gives them a one-eyed stare and grimaces as he takes another bite of his lunch.

"He is not a dude. You're a dude. This... this is a man. A handsome, muscular man," Drax interjects in pure reverence. "It's like a pirate had a baby with an angel."

"Yeah, that's awkward. So, where have the morons been?" Rocket asks.

Quil looks at Drax and Mantis before stepping forward to share their tale.

"Thanos used the Reality Stone to transform Knowhere from charred rubble into a thriving museum and spaceport. It sucks. In revenge for our attempts to stop him, he forced us to take his daughter with us. Meet Gamorra," Starlord tells them with a shrug. "I tried to kill her, but Thanos turned my laser into bubbles."

Gamorra, an emerald green beauty with mahogany tresses, rolls her eyes and gives him a disgusted glare.

"All that for nothing," Rocket says.

"Yep, pretty much," Starlord responds.

"Yeah, you look like a failure."

"You…shut your face or I'll shut it for you," Starlord says with an awkward stammer.

"Nice comeback, Quill," Rocket says. "Groot-put that game away. For the last time, that will you turn into a sapling."

Groot rolls his eyes and grumbles something under his leaves. The video game remains in his lap.

"Now what?" Quil asks. "Do we just wander around the universe till someone needs us?"

"Pretty much," Rocket says. "Though we are in charge of stealing the Power Stone from Xandar."

"Wonderful."

Thor shivers again and closes his eyes, though none present notice.

oooooo

* * *

The lure of open space calls them onward into the cosmos and they travel seeking both opportunity and adventure together. During the early days of their journey, the great Asgardian falls ill. He forgets who he is with and where they are travelling to. In his disorientation, he lashes out at the crew members and they pull their weapons on him to subdue him.

"Who the hell are you guys?" he says in a panic before Mantis approaches. With one touch of her powerful fingers, she sends him into a deep, untroubled sleep. It takes the combined efforts of all to launch him onto a bed to investigate what ails the Asgardian.

"He is anxious. Angry. He feels tremendous loss and guilt," Mantis says.

"As well he should. He ate all our food and drank all our booze," Rocket says. "Not to mention, he gave away his weapon and has nowhere to go."

Thor fails to wake and his conditions deteriorates dramatically to the point where he appears more dead than alive.

"What do we do with the Pirate Angel?" Drax asks.

"Well, I don't think he's going to get better and we can't have dead weight on the ship. Let's leave him here," Quil says.

"We can't just abandon him in the middle of empty space!" Gamorra says.

"You only say that because you like his muscles," Quil retorts.

"I can't help it. It's like his muscles are made of Cotati metal fibers," she answers as she continues to explore his limp arm with her hands.

"Stop massaging his muscles," Quil says.

She drops the heavy, strongly rippled arm she held in her hand and glares at Starlord.

"You're just jealous," she says.

"I am not!" he says, his eyes growing wide at the accusation.

"You are insecure and jealous and you wish to gain her admiration," Mantis states and points at Gamorra. Quil groans before his face flushes pink.

"Yeah, I think he's dead, or soon will be," Rocket says. "Let's chuck him out the back."

They open up the back hatch and throw the Aesir prince out to seek his fortunes in the cold vastness of space.

Ooooooo

* * *

Thor wakes to the dark expanse of the cosmos where he is floating through nothingness. In a burst of light and an explosion of color, he is transported onto the control deck of a large passenger ship, filled with people, many he has seen before. They are the faces of fellow Asgardians, those he left behind him on Midgard.

Valkyrie stands before him, mouth agape.

"My friends!" Thor says in relief as he struggles to sit upright. He is still unsure how he has woken where he has. "Why are you not on Midgard?"

"There were too many people on Midgard now and with so many Infinity Stones there, it no longer seemed wise to remain," Valkyrie answered. "We left seeking our fortunes elsewhere in the universe."

Korg and Miek are beside her and give him a cheerful wave before their faces take on expressions of panic. Then, he hears it. The voice he hoped to never hear (and worked each day for years to hear), the rumbling depths of the treacherous Titan, the maniacal madness of Thanos himself.

"Here, Asgardians, as I blink my fingers, I double your population, leaving you to scratch and scurry and starve to survive as you float from nowhere to nowhere," Thanos says with an evil grin. "Without provisions or a destination, you are doomed to devour yourselves in your fleeting pursuit for survival."

Thanos towers over even the largest Aesir warrior and even the bravest feels fear bloom like a parasite in their heart. A man with golden eyes calls a multi-colored prism of power to himself and before them appears the emerald beast, the angry giant, the Hulk himself-summoned from the wilds of Midgard to their aid against the Titan. He gives a roar that shakes the very foundations of the ship and each Asgardian to their core and the beast charges at the Titan.

With the squeeze of a fist and the flick of a finger, the Hulk is tossed aside as if made of dry leaves. The Titan gives a malicious grin dripping with sadistic glee and the Hulk slinks back to the shadows again, unwilling to risk another confrontation with the Titan.

"Surrender now or I will be forced to take drastic action," Thanos says as he paces through the very heart of the control center. His glowering minions, the feared Black Order, mirror his steps and cling to their own weapons as they glare at each of the Aesir faces they meet.

Thanos turns from the view out upon the galaxies beyond them and turns to Thor. Ebony Maw binds him tightly so he cannot escape, even with his god-like strength. Thor is forced to stare into the compassionless face of the Titan and fails to contain either his fury or his flinch.

"I know what it's like to lose," Thanos croons. "To _feel_ so desperately that you're right... yet to fail, nonetheless. It's frightening. Turns the legs to jelly. I ask you, to what end? Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same. And now, it's here. Or should I say... _I AM." _

Thanos clenches his gauntleted fist and a blue stone glows ominously from its perch.

_"Y_ou talk too much," Thor says, even as he eyes the stone and plots inwardly how to escape this potential catastrophe.

"I warn you. You must now deal with chaos and imbalance perpetually in response," Thanos answers. He snaps his fingers, the blue stone glows and a dark figure materializes on the ground. A thin, frail, half-mad man lays huddled under a pile of torn clothes.

Thanos rips the blue stone out of his gauntlet, pulls out a blue cube and places the stone within, and then throws it at the huddled figure. The figure rises and looks at Thor through crazed eyes.

"Hello, brother," he says with a wild grin and everyone gasps as the weight of recognition falls upon them.

"No… Loki….," Thor says, his heart beating wildly in terror as he sees the face of his long-lost adopted brother peering into his own.

Loki struggles to his feet and creeps ever-closer to his bound sibling, the Tesseract glowing ominously in his hands before he makes it vanish.

"It is I, Loki... Prince of Asgard... Odinson... the rightful King of Jotunheim... God of Mischief," he says with a flourish and a courtly bow to all which only increases their growing sense of unease. "I assure you, brother... the sun will shine on us again," Loki says with a grin that makes the hearts of all around turn to shivering ice.

**"**You really are the worst brother," Thor says.

"Hear me, and rejoice," Ebony Maw says with a voice dripping with venomous optimism. "You have had the privilege of being saved by the Great Titan... You may think this is suffering... no. It is _salvation_. Universal scales tip toward balance because of your sacrifice. Smile... for even in death, you have become Children of Thanos."

Then, with a mighty sweep, Thanos and his Order turn to leave.

"No! Call Thanos back! Call him back! We surrender!" cry the Asgardian refugees. He does not so much as turn a second glance upon them as he leaves them - not only with a cursed Infinity Stone, but one left solely in the care of the God of Mischief.


End file.
